Falafel x Bar — Restaurant in Jacksonville

Mezze: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pa-Tots-Ta Harra- if you like tots and bacon, get these. The menu says they are spicy but TBH, I did not have that experience and I don't care because TASTY. These things are are larger than your average tot (see pic) & if we hadn't gotten all the other dishes in that pic to try- I would have ordered a 2nd round. It came with 2 side sauces: the curry dip tasted like BBQ sauce & was a nice accompaniment. The other sauce that came with it was not as memorable to me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Falafel- although this looked darker than I prefer, it did NOT deter from the flavor or its lightness (IDK about you but I firmly believe that heavy falafel sucks.) The accompanying sauce, according to my sister, was spicy; and again, I did not have that experience so I can't speak on that. I prefer a plain falafel anyways so I don't think I missed out on anything. Bowls, Pita & More: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ⭐⭐ Hummus & Shawarma Bowl- The hummus was delightful and the pita soft. This dish allows access to the "toppings" bar with different pickled veggies and peppers of a few different types from sweet to spicy. I very much so enjoyed the Jerusalem pickles & pickled cauliflower, just to pick a couple toppings. However, the sharwarma's flavor was too cinnamon forward for my liking. With that said, the meat was not dry. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gyro Pita with fries- ONE OF THE BEST PITAS I have had the pleasure to eat in a looooong time. The fries were...

I like to eat healthy lunch and FXB has done amazing vegan options, but in three trips i have not found anything i love. It is in the spot vacated by Chomp Chomp, with plenty of parking on the street. Service could not have been more friendly or more helpful which was important since I wanted help with the menu items.

While I waited, they gave me some sample from the buffet bar, which was more like a toppings bar. Some people may think it odd, but I thought it was genius. I like things that may a spot unique.

So here are some of the buffet bar toppings I tried: Eggplant - crispy on the outside, tender inside Pickled Turnips - INCREDIBLE, and I don't like turnips Pickled Cauliflower - good, but not as flavorful as the turnips. Probably because the cauliflower does not easily absorb the marinade.

For my entree I ordered the Jerusalem Burger with seasoned fries. The fries were crisp and delicious and needed no ketchup or condiments to be good. The Jerusalem burger was just not my cup of tea. It was very dry, had little sauce and had a spice level that was above my pay grade. It was well prepared and I am sure others would like it. Ditto with my other two visits, food was okay but just not as good as competing restaurants in this area. By far the best thing for me was the toppings bar, it really rocks.

I really want to go back and try more turnips and a few...

Order: Two Falafel Bowls and side of Hummus Price: $33

Summary: Amazing restaurant if you love middle eastern food. It has great outdoor seating, the staff is incredibly friendly and the food, while just a little pricey, was delicious and well worth the price for the quality of the ingredients. You should absolutely try Falafel Bar, and I know I’ll be back more than a few times.

Thoughts: I’ve had a few people tell me that I needed to try Falafel Bar and it’s mostly just been I haven’t been able to get around to it. Finally after an evening work out we decided to go hang out with some friends and someone brought up this restaurant. Timing seemed perfect so we went for it.

The concept is really fascinating, it’s all very traditional Middle Eastern food and the quality is amazing. There’s tons of outdoor seating and they import specialty wines so on top of the food being amazing it’s a great place to spend time and hang out. I think what really makes them unique though is there toppings bar. You can order different bowls and then top them from a dozen or so delicious toppings.

I think this really puts them over the top in terms of uniqueness and what you get for the price. All four of us really loved the experience and the food and we all agreed that we would...